Jarid Lukosevicius is making the move back to B.C. after playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins, a Detroit Red Wings affiliate in the American Hockey League.
On Aug. 12, it was announced that Lukosevicius has signed a one-year contract with the Abby Canucks.
“I'm happy he's coming home to British Columbia,” said his father, Todd Lukosevicius.
“My understanding is that he's excited to play in his home area.”
He noted that the last two seasons have been a wash, thanks to COVID-19, so the news is welcome.
Furthermore, becoming signed to a Canucks affiliate means that his son may be closer than ever to joining the Vancouver NHL team.
“Being with Abbotsford, being very close to Vancouver — you know, 40 minutes away — he's going to have a lot of eyes that will be on him that could give him the opportunity,” said Todd.
He said what happens next is largely up to Jarid, but noted that his son has a strong work ethic and goes to the net hard.
“He's a good role model for a lot of the younger guys, because he works hard,” Todd said.
“He's been that clutch player that seems to get you out of trouble when you need it.”
Todd said he expects his son to check in for training camp in the near future, and he’ll likely be staying in Abbotsford.
However, he may be paying a visit to Squamish sooner or later, as he still has family and connections to the town.
Jarid didn’t respond to phone calls or a text message for comment.
Last season, the 26-year-old athlete from Squamish appeared in 17 games with the Griffins.
He tallied up two points and two penalty minutes that season. Altogether, throughout his 46-game career with the AHL, he racked up 10 points and 31 penalty minutes.
Before his time in the AHL, Lukosevicius gained attention in the spotlight during his hattrick performance in the 2017 NCAA season that clinched the championship game for his then-team, the Denver Pioneers.
